“A prayer wheel is a spiritual tool for widely distributing loving, compassionate and kind blessings with your positive wishes for yourself, all those you care for, as well as all [sentient] beings.”
Just as the wind activates prayer flags with similar blessings and wishes, prayer wheels are activated by turning them clockwise, mostly with one’s own hand. And just like standing in the presence of prayer flags, I found that there was something completely peaceful, completely centering, completely healing about turning prayer wheels when I was in Bhutan.
When I first arrived in Bhutan and began to notice people turning prayer wheels, I did not really know what they were doing or why, but something inside made me want to find out. I asked my guide and he showed me how to turn them. Not that it was difficult at all to turn them. Just a twist of the wrist, if they were the prayer wheels about two feet tall and a foot in diameter (also known as Lakhor); or a push with a bit of force or by holding a handle and walking, if they were the kind that were at least twice my height and a few yards in diameter; or a rotation of the hand, if they were hand-held prayer wheels (also known as a Mani wheel). Always in that clockwise direction, for the clockwise direction symbolically follows the movement of the sun across the sky.
Once I learned about why prayer wheels are turned, as summarized in the quote above, I just began to turn them. Automatically. Any time I was near one. It just felt right. It felt peaceful, centering, healing. I was sending blessings and wishes to all sentient beings.
The Lakhor prayer wheels are usually placed completely surrounding a building, such as a temple or monastery. Sometimes there are up to 108 of these prayer wheels, an auspicious number. One will walk around, circumambulate, clockwise the entire building, turning each prayer wheel…one at a time… every single one of them…to release as many blessings and wishes as possible. Thus, walking clockwise around the building, while turning the prayer wheels clockwise.
The Mani wheels are used when one walks around places like chortens (a religious structure containing Buddhist relics). They are sometimes carried around for hours, and even on long pilgrimages. While most Mani wheels are about a foot in length so that they can be easily held, I bought a couple of these that were only a few inches. They are probably made for us travelers, but they most likely work just the same. (Mini Manis?)
Prayer wheels are inscribed with the Buddhist compassion mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum, on the outside of the wheel, and it is this mantra that facilitates the blessings and wishes. Saying this mantra as one turns prayer wheels will further increase the blessings. In addition, written prayers and sacred texts are placed inside the prayer wheels increasing the blessings and wishes even more.
Prayer wheels can be made from metal, wood, stone, leather, or coarse cotton. Aside from the hand, prayer wheels may also be powered by water, such as those one sees along the roads in Bhutan near a natural waterfall. The heat of a candle, and wind are other sources of turning prayer wheels. And in this modern age, there are even electric, digital, internet-operated prayer wheels, and well, even prayer wheel screen savers and Apps.
My favorite prayer wheels are those that when turned also rang a bell with each rotation. Ding…ding…ding…ding….
My ultimate favorite prayer wheels were those that were turned by the power of water, AND a bell rung at the same time…
Swisssshhhhhh…ding…ding…ding…ding…
Sweet Travels (for all sentient beings)!
Quote and other information from Nangkor Tours & Travel
Other information from dharma-haven.org